The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1887-02-10
"shan't chop your meat for your

"Did your mother haye somcboJy to
hand her things, or did she get them
hersefl" says l good naturedly handing
him the tray and choppin' knife.
He put all his meat, some four or five
pounds, into the tray at once, and began
to chop. He chopped, and he chopped
and he chopped, and still great masses
of whole meat kept coming to the sur
face. After three. quarters of an hour of
hard work he had gotit so there wasn't
any pieces more than one and a half
inches square, and two inches thick,
though there was plenty that big. Then
he went for the molas'es jug.
"You amt going to call that fine
enough for the mcat?" says /.
"Coursc it's fine enough" says he.
Takes the life all out Of mince-meat
or hash or anything, to chop it too
fine !"
'But jeremiah" says I, 10th to see so
much good meat wasted, "that won't be
fit to cat. Let me take it;
I'd rather chop than see the pies spoil
cd"
"Spiled!' he cried. "Who's maxim
these pics, Philura?"
81 wouldn't want to swear that any
body was" says I.
you always make your pies too
sweet" he went on, measuring out sugar
by the tcaspoonful. "My mother never
used much sugar."
Then he poured in two tcacupfuls of
cider molasscs and tcacupiul of
vinegar. He liked them real tart, he
said.
"Now for spices" says he. "Lcmmc
see. She used to put in lot Of ginger,
remember And thereupon the whole
two-ouncc package was cmpticd into the
pan. "And cinnamon-aint we got any
cinnamon sticks"
No." says I, "you say you don't like
it,"
'1t's best for pics I guess, but this
will do" whcrcupon the package OF Gin.
namon followed the ginger. "Covcs,
O, yesl Where's the mortar m pestlc -
And he ground up quarter of a pound
of cloves and stirred them in. "Now,
that's all but the raisins. o! no. there's
the apple" And he showed in the
chopped apple. 20! yes, bread. My
mother used TO chop up bread and put
in"
THAT was when she was short OF
apples, l remarked.
who's runnin' these pics?' he re-
pcatcd. "Git me some bread, will ye2"
brought the bread and he pounded
some up and stirred in.
"Now, guess it's ready" and he be-
gan to ladle it into his under crusts.
"Ain't you going to taste of it and see
whether it is right?" says l. "Your
mother used to-"
"That's So" says he, "and so did !,
and want it good!"
He smackcd his lips and tasted, but
noticed he didn't smack cm the second
time.
"You ought to set it on fire and cook
it all together" couldn't help saying,
"Why what's the matter, Jeremiahw
The tears was chasing each other down
his hollow cheeks, and + minute
was real scairt.
"There seems to be lcetlc too much
ginger" he said, blowin' his nose, "but
"rll fix EN-"
Then he went to work putin in moro
stuff. A cup more of cider molasscs and
a cup more of vinegar, considerable
pepper, but no salt, two pounds OF
rasns, whole, and the contents of q
bottle of paregoric, l sec him put in.
Then he went to the sittin' room closet
and brought the bottle of brandy keep
for sickness, and put half cf that into tho
mixture he was concocting I looked
mortified, indeed, for l never use it in
cooking.
doctors say micc-pies ought Away;
to hcv brandy in 'em 10 keep 'em from
hurtin' folks" says he; Il don't bcgrucl
a little brandy in such good pies a;
these"
Then he stirred up the whole mess
Ny land There was great chunks o.
meat, and great long strings of it. And
such looking pan of mincc- meat nevel
see!
But l said nothing as he went on ant
filed his pies, and preceded to cove
'cm. The crust hal got so harc
and stiff he could scarcely roll i
out, but he finally got it dowr
not much thicker than the under
crust. Without cutting any ar-hoes h,
covered the pie, tucking in the cdg'
where it came over, and pulling it GU
where it came short. Then his pics wen
into the oven.
He insisted on building up an awfu
fire, and in few minutes the juice of hi
pies (his meat was floating around in al
ambu,cncc of molasscs and vinegar cam
running cut on the floor. Jeremial
/ bounded TO the oven door He didn'
look near so chippcr as when he first be
gan his pics.
| II wish, Philura," says he, "you'(
t jest see here minute. That crust don
act WE'LL"
, should say no.! The inside had ri
up and was runnin' over all around, Will
a thick, leathery-looking substance ros
up in the middle of it. burnt pretty nca
black.
. GglUboea ~ ,boeo ,,,oa ,;oI,1 D